1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a picture-format switchable camera capable of switching picture formats and also capable of inscribing data on the switched image plane.
2. Related Art Statement
In recent years, cameras are becoming multi-functioned. Among cameras capable of switching picture-formats on a film image-plane, such a camera is already on the market that can switch picture-formats of the film image-plane between a commonly used normal-size (24 mm.times.36 mm) and a panoramic size (13 mm.times.36 mm). Panoramic photography provides a print of a wider width and is suitable especially for wide-angle photography. In conjunction with switching picture formats, data inscription on each picture format is required and various proposals have been made regarding data-inscribing devices for this type of camera. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open publication No. 63-139327, there is disclosed a data-inscribing device of a picture-format switchable camera with liquid crystal displays, having different character strings, one of which is disposed in the position above one line in front of a film; having two incandescent lamps as light sources; thus, enabling data inscription by lighting either one of the two incandescent lamps in accordance with the picture format.
Another data-inscribing device, disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3-210547 and proposed by the same applicant of the present invention, is not for the picture-format switchable camera, but it provides an objective lens and a reflection member which constitute an image-forming optical system for inscribing data in an intermediate position between the liquid crystal display and the film so as not to interrupt the luminous flux. As a related art, the normal-size/panoramic-size switchable camera, disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3-000155 which was previously proposed also by the applicant of the present invention, pertains to a camera having the above function of switching the image planes.
However, in the data-inscribing device for the switched picture format, disclosed in the above described Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 63-139327, two light sources and two liquid crystal displays are required, which causes disadvantages in cost and space and additionally requires a detecting switch for a switching operation of the picture formats to enable the switching electrically.
The picture-format switchable camera disclosed in the above described Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3-000155 does not take the data-inscribing function into consideration; therefore, when data are inscribed on the film using the conventional data-inscribing device of this camera, the image of date-characters is projected outside of an effective image-plane in the panoramic photography, thus the date-characters cannot be printed on the frame of the film when the panoramic-size film is printed.
The data-inscribing device disclosed in the above described Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3-210547 also does not provide the data-inscription corresponding to switching picture formats between normal-size and panoramic-size.